4
Ukuphilela UNkulunkulu
1 Ngakho, njengoba uKhristu wahlupheka emzimbeni wakhe, lani hlomani ngesimo esifanayo, ngoba lowo owahluphekayo emzimbeni wakhe usehlule isono. 2 Ngakho-ke, ukuphila kwakhe kwasemhlabeni okuseleyo kakuphileli izinkanuko ezimbi zabantu, kodwa intando kaNkulunkulu. 3 Ngoba selichithe isikhathi esaneleyo ngaphambili lisenza lokho abahedeni abakhetha ukukwenza, impilo yobudlova, inkanuko, lokudakwa, ukuzitika, ukuzivusa amadlabuzane kanye lezithombe eziyisinengiso. 4 Bakubona kumangalisa ukuthi kalibhudlukeli kanye labo kusikhukhula sinye sencithakalo, njalo bayalithuka kakhulu. 5 Kodwa kuzamela baziphendulele kuye olungele ukwahlulela abaphilayo kanye labafileyo. 6 Ngoba lesi yiso isizatho esenza kwatshunyayelwa ivangeli lakulabo khathesi asebefile, ukuze bahlulelwe ngokwabantu ngokomzimba, kodwa baphile ngokukaNkulunkulu ngokomoya.
7 Ukuphela kwezinto zonke sekusondele. Ngakho-ke, kumele liqedisise njalo lizithibe ukuze likhuleke. 8 Phezu kwakho konke, thandanani ngokupheleleyo, ngoba uthando lugqibela izono ezinengi. 9 Yamukelanani emakhaya enu kungekho kukhonona. 10 Lowo lalowo kumele asebenzise loba yisiphi isipho somoya asamukelayo ekusizeni abanye, njengenceku ezithembekileyo zomusa kaNkulunkulu ngesimo sawo olezimo ezehlukeneyo. 11 Nxa umuntu ekhuluma, kumele akhulume njengokhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu wona ngokwawo. Nxa umuntu ekhonza, kumele akhonze ngamandla awaphiwa nguNkulunkulu, ukuze kuthi ezintweni zonke uNkulunkulu adunyiswe ngoJesu Khristu. Udumo lamandla kakube kuye kuze kube nini lanini. Ameni.
Ukuhlupheka Ngenxa Yokuba NgumKhristu
12 Bangane bami abathandekayo, lingamangaliswa yibuhlungu besilingo elibuzwayo, kungathi kwenzakala into engaziwayo kini. 13 Kodwa thokozani ngokuthi liyahlanganyela ekuhluphekeni kukaKhristu, ukuze lithokoze kakhulu lapho inkazimulo yakhe isibonakaliswa. 14 Nxa lithukwa ngenxa yebizo likaKhristu, libusisiwe, ngoba uMoya wenkazimulo lokaNkulunkulu uhlezi phezu kwenu. 15 Nxa lihlupheka, akungabi njengombulali loba isela kumbe olunye uhlobo lwesigebenga loba lanjengongenelayo ezindabeni zabanikazi. 16 Kodwa-ke, nxa lihlupheka njengomKhristu, lingayangeki, kodwa dumisani uNkulunkulu ngebizo lakhe. 17 Ngoba kuyisikhathi sokuthi ukwahlulela kuqalise ngabendlu kaNkulunkulu; njalo nxa kuqalisa ngathi, isiphetho sizakuba yini kulabo abangalaleli ivangeli likaNkulunkulu na? 18 Njalo,
“Nxa kunzima ukuba abalungileyo basindiswe,
pho kuzakuba njani kwabangakholwayo labayizoni na?”*
19 Ngakho-ke, labo abahlupheka ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu kumele bazinikele kuMdali wabo othembekileyo njalo baqhubeke besenza okulungileyo.
* 4:18 Izaga 11.31